Am I doing this wrong?

[NYShooterGuy]

I've been brewing since the beginning of October 2014. I finished my 16th batch last week and figure I'm on a schedule of about 5 gallons every 2 weeks. So roughly 80 gallons of beer have been made and I am always reading and researching.

If I can describe my process, I wonder what, if anything, I should change and why.

I only extract brew due to space and financial restrictions. I barely have enough room in my 700 sq. ft. condo shared by myself, spouse, 2 toddlers, 1 newborn and 2 miniature daushounds. I utilize a stainless steel 5 gallon brew kettle. I boil 2.5 gallons of water for sterilization to have as top off after my wort is complete. After approx 45 minutes, the water is boiled and cooled and placed in a sanitized bucket.

I then begin my add my grains to a large nylon reusable steeping grain bag in approximately 1.5 - 2 gallons of cold filtered water. I raise the temp wih the gains in the bag of cold water until (unless otherwise specified) I get to 155°F for 30 minutes.

I remove and set the bag in a strainer over a separate pot to drain. I add my extract and hop additions as per the recipe and add the drippings from the steeping grain bag during the course of the boil.

10 minutes before flameout, I place the clean Stainless Steel wort chiller into the kettle and continue with the recipe additions.

After all additions and any hopstand, I turn on the chiller and place the kettle in a wide mouth bucket of cold water to assist the wort chiller.

Typically I get the wort to 66-64°F within 20-25 minutes.

I placed a sanitized strainer over a sanitized bucket and remove the wort chiller from the kettle and place it on the strainer. I pour some of the sterile water over the chiller to get the last remaining wort of the chiller and place the chiller in the sink. I then remove the kettle from the wide mouth bucket and place on a towel. I dry off the water aroind the external side of the kettle to prevent drippings from the suspect external cooling water entering the fermentation bucket. I place the spoon that has been in the kettle from boil to cooling is placed in the strainer. I then begin pouring from kettle into the strainer over the fermentation bucket.

As the strainer becomes clogged with hop and other break material, I stop pouring, placing the kettle to the side and stir the material until the wort can flow through the strainer.

I repeat this process until the kettle is empty and the strainer is nearly full of a hoppy, pulpy mass. I push the spoon against the mass to "squeeze out" as much wort as I can. I then place the spoon in the sink. I add more sterile water by pouring over the pulp mass in the strainer to top up to roughly 5.25 - 5.33 gallons to compensate for when I rack off the completed fermentation in the following days.

After I top up, I dump the pulp mass in the trash, and dump the remaining sterile water. I use a sanitized plastic 3 piece thief and fill a plastic test tube. I place the hydrometer in and record my gravity. I then pour the wort from one fermenter to the other approx 4 - 6 times to aerate. Once the wort is really frothy, I pitch the yeast, cover the fermenter and add the airlock with sanitizer.

I clean my stainless steel equipment (kettle, spoon and chiller) with bar keeper's friend to oxidize all the surfaces and use warm water on the plastic equipment (fermenter bucket, thief, test tube) and hydrometer and dry on a drying mat.

I put the fermenter in the wide mouth bucket, fill with tap water up to the top (about the 4.5 gallon mark on the outside of the bucket) and leave in a closet away from light and toddler's curious fingers. I've found the water really holds the temperature far better then ambient air. I have yet to see the temperature climb more then 2° using this method.

I wait 7 days and use a sanitized 3 piece thief again to check gravity. If it falls in my acceptable range, I rack to a plastic 6.5 gallon big mouth bubbler using sanitized equipment. I generally suck up a bit of the yeast because I don't stop when I see the racking cane get cloudy as it gets to the last few ouches at the bottom, I ensure I get the last bit of beer from the primary. Unless otherwise specified wait for 7 more days.

Prior to bottling, gravity is again checked using the afore mentioned practice. Bottling day would be delayed if gravity was found to be in unacceptable range, but I have yet to see major changes in gravity over the 7 days after racking off the yeast cake.

I again rack the beer from the carboy to the bottling bucket after priming sugar is calculated, boiled, cooled and placed in the sanitized bottling bucket. I again get a bit of yeast from the bottom of the carboy to ensure I get all of the beer. Bottling is done with a sanitized bottling bucket, spigot, and bottling cane attached to the spigot with a very short piece of tubing.

Bottles are submerged in a fermenter filled with sanitizer for a minimum contact time of 2 minutes and caps are placed in a small dish of sanitizer.

A bottle is removed from the bucket, turned upside down, swirled to vortex the sanitizer out and placed under the bottling cane. Bottle is filled to the very top, removed for the cane, and due to the fluid displacement of the cane in the bottle, a head space of approximately 3/4" is created. I loosely place a cap on the top and set aside.

Once I have about 12 bottles filled, I submerge more bottles into the sanitizer, and begin capping the filled ones. After the capped bottles are placed into a case, 2 minutes of contact time is achieved, and I can fill more bottles. After all bottles are filled, and put away in a dark closet, I clean all plastic with warm warter and my hand, and either set aside on a drying mat or wiped dry with paper towels as is with the plastoc carboy and bottling bucket. The spigot is completely removed prior to and after bottling. I've seen a gross post of a plastic spigot that was never removed and had mold in the treads that infected a home brewer's batch.

I use PBW in the wide mouth buckets used to cool the fermenters and kettle and de-label commercially bought bottles and rarely on the fermenters, carboys, or bottling bucket. I've used the racking cane and tubing in the bucket of PBW occasionally after I suspected an infection in my 9th brew, but never had a problem since. I also have a huge bucket of Oxyclean that had been used only twoce when I forst started brewing to clean the plastic fermenters, bottling bucket and racking equipment.

So what should I change, if anything?

 

[shortyz]

sounds good, just make sure your boil kettle is as full as it can be.

 

[ong]

Do you have a reason to think you're doing something wrong? How's the beer? There are a lot of "right" ways to brew -- for instance, you could stop doing secondaries, but you certainly don't have to.

One thing -- are you using Starsan? It wasn't quite clear how you are sanitizing.

 

[Fbrews]

I use extract only. 2.5 gal batches. I recently etched my kettle and now add filtered tap water in the last ten mins of boil. I get it close will boil off but i do top off to 2.5 in kettle . I was concerned with contamination of cold tap water in fermenter. As I do not use sealed gallon jugs of water anymore, plus i let the water sit on the counter for a while then just add. I feel this eliminates one possible contamination point.

 

[joshesmusica]

looks good. as long as you're happy with your beer, it sounds like you're being very meticulous with each step.

as others have said, there are things you can do just to see if it works better for you, or you don't have to change anything if you're making good beer.

for example, i don't use a secondary, and i also add about 70% of my extracts at flameout instead of at the beginning of the boil (at least for my paler beers). i also don't get rid of the trub (the stuff you were straining out) anymore because of seeing this experiment:
http://brulosophy.com/2014/06/02/the-great-trub-exbeeriment-results-are-in/

 

[2ellas]

I am by no means an experienced brewer though I'm not sure that squeezing out and pouring more water through the trub is a good thing. I would think it would add some potentially bad bitterness to the wort but again I don't know. It definitely seems like you've got a good system that works for your situation. As the previous poster mentioned, secondary is generally not necessary and 6.5 gallon secondary leaves a lot of headspace for potential oxidation. All that said, you never mentioned if you were pleased with your beer or not.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

 

[kombat]

Raise the water temperature to 170° instead of 155° F. And once you hit temp, you can remove the steeping grains immediately, no need to leave them in for another half hour. Just take them out and continue heating to the boil.

Don't add all your LME at the start of the boil. You risk caramelization. Add half with the first hop addition, and the rest 5 minutes before flameout.

Consider adding Irish moss to the boil to improve clarity.

No need to filter out the gunk. It's food for the yeast. Just dump it all in the fermenter.

Skip racking the beer from the bucket to the carboy. There's no benefit. You're risking infection and oxidation. And a 6.5 gallon carboy is way too much headspace for 5 gallons of beer for a secondary vessel anyway. If you insist on racking to another vessel, get a 5 gallon carboy and fill it to the brim. You want minimal headspace.

Try to pick up less yeast when racking to your bottling bucket. All you're doing is clouding up your beer. There's still plenty of yeast in suspension to perform bottle carbonation for you.

 

[RM-MN]

I only extract brew due to space and financial restrictions.

I'm sorry to have to bring this up but this is a false premise. You are assuming that to brew all grain takes a lot more space and a ton of money but that isn't true. I brew BIAB on my kitchen stove much like you are doing with your extract brew but I only do 2 1/2 gallon batches. The only things needed to make this switch are a bag (paint strainer bags, 2 in a package, under $5), grains that are milled (if your LHBS doesn't have a mill you can order them milled for you from a number of online suppliers) and the intestinal fortitude to try something different. The difference in cost for grains instead of extract will pay for the bags on the first batch. From then on it is all savings.

 

[Fbrews]

I would argue cost. 2.5 gal all grain is just not worth extra step(s), extra time and money. BIAB is just as step up from steeping which alot of extract brewers do. A 5 gal extract divided by two is hard to beat in cost. Im only familiar with most of online pricing as there are no local stores near me. While I understand your point, and agree. Im saying the step up from extract to AG usually incurs more cost. I think OP was just saying, generally speaking.

I'm sorry to have to bring this up but this is a false premise. You are assuming that to brew all grain takes a lot more space and a ton of money but that isn't true. I brew BIAB on my kitchen stove much like you are doing with your extract brew but I only do 2 1/2 gallon batches. The only things needed to make this switch are a bag (paint strainer bags, 2 in a package, under $5), grains that are milled (if your LHBS doesn't have a mill you can order them milled for you from a number of online suppliers) and the intestinal fortitude to try something different. The difference in cost for grains instead of extract will pay for the bags on the first batch. From then on it is all savings.

 

[sfish]

Don't add all your LME at the start of the boil. You risk caramelization. Add half with the first hop addition, and the rest 5 minutes before flameout. (qouted Kombat)

If you do add extract late. The addititon of the extract cools the temp of you wort and if you bring it back to a boil you need to watch & stir to prevent boil over.

Suggest ~ Make starters ~ if you do rack then use a 5 gal carboy and fiill to top to reduse head space.

 

[stratslinger]

I would argue cost. 2.5 gal all grain is just not worth extra step(s), extra time and money. BIAB is just as step up from steeping which alot of extract brewers do. A 5 gal extract divided by two is hard to beat in cost. Im only familiar with most of online pricing as there are no local stores near me. While I understand your point, and agree. Im saying the step up from extract to AG usually incurs more cost. I think OP was just saying, generally speaking.

Not that I've done any BIAB batches - but a few guys in my club do them exclusively and I've become very familiar with the process. And to say that it's "just a step up from steeping" is completely incorrect. The whole point of BIAB is that you're mashing in your boil kettle, so you don't have to maintain a separate Mash Tun or any kind of gravity-fed or pump-fed system to move fluids from one vessel to another. That said, you do add in the extra variable of having to remove a large bag of hot, wet grains from your kettle once the mash is complete - but keeping to a 2.5 gallon batch should simplify this step some.

At the end of the day, the BIAB method gets all the same control and benefits of more traditional all grain brewing, with a much smaller investment in equipment and storage space for it.

 

[madscientist451]

Your process looks ok to me. Things I would do differently, but maybe not better are:
1. If you haven't done a full wort boil yet, perhaps cut your recipe in half and do that and then do a side by side comparison with the beer made with partial boil.
2. Do the same as above with the all grain BIAB method.
3. Just dump the wort from the brew pot to the fermenting bucket, don't worry about straining it, or siphon from the brew pot leaving the kettle trub in the bottom.
4. You can skip racking to secondary if you want to.
5 You really only need to use pbw for stubborn soil that wont come off easily. I use it after doing primary in glass carboys that are hard to clean or if something get burned in my brew pot. Its more important to sanitize, but you are already doing that.
6. If you haven't experimented with different yeasts, maybe start doing that, also figure start saving and reusing yeast.
7. If you get a bigger brew pot, like 8 gallons, you can still brew inside,
and do full wort boils on larger brews, maybe not a full 5 gallons but 4 gallons for sure.
8. If you like the way your beer comes out, don't change a thing, Cheers!!

 

[Fbrews]

The process of steeping and mashing in a bag are very similar. Again referring to the procedures involved.

Not that I've done any BIAB batches - but a few guys in my club do them exclusively and I've become very familiar with the process. And to say that it's "just a step up from steeping" is completely incorrect. The whole point of BIAB is that you're mashing in your boil kettle, so you don't have to maintain a separate Mash Tun or any kind of gravity-fed or pump-fed system to move fluids from one vessel to another. That said, you do add in the extra variable of having to remove a large bag of hot, wet grains from your kettle once the mash is complete - but keeping to a 2.5 gallon batch should simplify this step some.

At the end of the day, the BIAB method gets all the same control and benefits of more traditional all grain brewing, with a much smaller investment in equipment and storage space for it.

 

[RM-MN]

I would argue cost. 2.5 gal all grain is just not worth extra step(s), extra time and money. BIAB is just as step up from steeping which alot of extract brewers do. A 5 gal extract divided by two is hard to beat in cost. Im only familiar with most of online pricing as there are no local stores near me. While I understand your point, and agree. Im saying the step up from extract to AG usually incurs more cost. I think OP was just saying, generally speaking.

I've found that the time is about the same for BIAB all grain is about the same as extract with steeping grains. The difference in cost for equipment outlay is the cost of the bag which is minimal and can be recovered in the first batch with the difference in cost of extract compared to just buying grains. Go grab a bag and give it a try. If your grains are double milled you will have your mash done in 30 minutes, about the time needed for steeping grains.

 

[stratslinger]

The process of steeping and mashing in a bag are very similar. Again referring to the procedures involved.

Which is not at all what you said. I agree that, procedure-wise, they're similar. But to suggest that BIAB is "just a step up from steeping" is what I disagreed with.

Procedure-wise, they share similarities.

But there's a world of difference in the chemical processes going on between the two methods, and that can lead to a world of difference (both for the good and the bad!) in the finished product. I just didn't want OP reading your initial message and dismissing BIAB, which may be a good fit for him -if he's interested in it- based on a throwaway comment.

 

[DennisinIowa]

Search "Vorlauf" effect. If you do this your strainer will not plug till the end.
D

 

[NYShooterGuy]

One thing -- are you using Starsan? It wasn't quite clear how you are sanitizing.

Beer has been getting better after stabilizing fermentation temps. I Use SanStar exclusively.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Your process looks ok to me. Things I would do differently, but maybe not better are:
1. If you haven't done a full wort boil yet, perhaps cut your recipe in half and do that and then do a side by side comparison with the beer made with partial boil.
2. Do the same as above with the all grain BIAB method.
3. Just dump the wort from the brew pot to the fermenting bucket, don't worry about straining it, or siphon from the brew pot leaving the kettle trub in the bottom.
4. You can skip racking to secondary if you want to.
5 You really only need to use pbw for stubborn soil that wont come off easily. I use it after doing primary in glass carboys that are hard to clean or if something get burned in my brew pot. Its more important to sanitize, but you are already doing that.
6. If you haven't experimented with different yeasts, maybe start doing that, also figure start saving and reusing yeast.
7. If you get a bigger brew pot, like 8 gallons, you can still brew inside,
and do full wort boils on larger brews, maybe not a full 5 gallons but 4 gallons for sure.
8. If you like the way your beer comes out, don't change a thing, Cheers!!

I've been trying to get as close to a full boil as I am comfortable with without boil over (about 4.5 gallons).
BIAB was suggested but I understand I need a 10 gallon kettle. My stove has a hard enough time getting the boil on 4.5 gallons let alone 10 gallons. An induction heater plate was suggested as well to allow the 10 gallon boil, but I don't have any 220v lines in my condo, and I'm not comfortable with working with high voltage electrical work.
I've been using a few different yeast strains. Out of the 16 brews, I believe I've used only 3 strains more then once. I have a yeast bank in my mini dorm fridge of about 12 varieties and I've made starters from these yeasts that produced great beer.

As far as the trub going from kettle to fermenter, I've seen another post that it is healthy for the yeast to eat the trub?

 

[RM-MN]

BIAB can be done in smaller pots but the result is a smaller batch. I've done 5 gallon batches in a 7.5 gallon pot so I know it can be done in less than a 10 gallon pot but recently I've been making 2 1/2 to 2 gallon batches in a 5 gallon pot. I've experimented with shorter mash times and found that 25 minutes works as good at 60 if you mill the grains to take advantage of the bag for filtering. I'm still working on shorter mash times but you'll have to wait for the results before I recommend those.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

BIAB can be done in smaller pots but the result is a smaller batch. I've done 5 gallon batches in a 7.5 gallon pot so I know it can be done in less than a 10 gallon pot but recently I've been making 2 1/2 to 2 gallon batches in a 5 gallon pot. I've experimented with shorter mash times and found that 25 minutes works as good at 60 if you mill the grains to take advantage of the bag for filtering. I'm still working on shorter mash times but you'll have to wait for the results before I recommend those.

I have the large grain bag that completely fills the 5 gallon kettle so much so that it can be folded over the top and down the outsides. It has gotten damaged from the flames so I have 2 small tears close to the opening of the bag (nothing that will cause spillage into the kettle). 2.5 gallon BIAB batches sounds right up my alley.

I assume a 5 gallon all grain recipe is halved to achieve the desired result for a 2.5 gallon BIAB recipe? All hops added same times at boil but halved in quantity?

I would love to get started into BIAB. I should research this thoroughly.

 

[joshesmusica]

Ok I'm not sure but I'm going to assume by your last comment that you don't have beersmith? Get it! Then type in a five gallon batch recipe you already have, then convert the batch to all grain biab, then convert to whatever size you want it. If you give the right profile for your equipment it will tell you everything you need to do exactly as and when you need to do it.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Ok I'm not sure but I'm going to assume by your last comment that you don't have beersmith?

Is that computer software, or a website? What is the cost? I can't wait to brew again! I figure an IPA will hide any mistakes with this new way of brewing.

 

[ong]

BIAB is a great technique. I've done about 60 batches this way, and made some really remarkable beers (if I do say so). It's definitely more challenging than extract, particularly managing mash temps. I'd say you should try it if you want an extra challenge, if you want more control over your beer, or if you're looking to save money. Get Beersmith, and get a pretty good thermometer (like a CDN digital for $15 or so). The difference between mashing at 154 and 158 is huge!

 

[joshesmusica]

Yeah it's software. I think it's like $30 but well worth the investment. Even if you just stick with extracts it's still worth it.

 

[VegasBrew1]

I think your system sounds fine, but I'm a newb too. I first brewed in November and have 8 batches under my belt. I thought I was setting a land speed record, but you my friend are the king. Cheers.

 

[RM-MN]

Is that computer software, or a website? What is the cost? I can't wait to brew again! I figure an IPA will hide any mistakes with this new way of brewing.

There are a number of software packages that will be beneficail to your all grain brewing. I think that Beersmith is probably the best but in that best it has a lot of settings that you need to change to account for your equipment and I see a lot of people confused by it because they didn't change it from the default and get some strange setting from that. I use one called Brewtarget which is free with a donation suggested. It isn't as detailed as Brewsmith and has some interesting flaws but it works well for me. Brewer's Friend is another one that is mentioned quite often.

Hide mistakes? Just don't make any! :fro:

 

[NYShooterGuy]

There are a number of software packages that will be beneficail to your all grain brewing. I think that Beersmith is probably the best but in that best it has a lot of settings that you need to change to account for your equipment and I see a lot of people confused by it because they didn't change it from the default and get some strange setting from that.

I got Beersmith. now i have a recipe for an all grain IPA that i would like to try< but i can't for the life of me figure out hipw to convert to a 2.5 gallon BiaB recipe.

 

[joshesmusica]

I got Beersmith. now i have a recipe for an all grain IPA that i would like to try< but i can't for the life of me figure out hipw to convert to a 2.5 gallon BiaB recipe.

go into your recipe, then at the top left is a button that says scale recipe. there are a lot of nuances with beersmith. it may take some time to learn. also you need to figure out the efficiency of your setup. you need to figure out how much boil off, all that kind of stuff. it takes some time, and some tinkering, but in the end, i think it's the best software. also i've found that if you have any questions, just email the creator of the software directly, through the website, and he was pretty quick to respond.

 

[NYShooterGuy]

Thanks good sir. I appreciate the time taken to help me on this.

 

[xcnxgh]

sounds good, just make sure your boil kettle is as full as it can be.